A warm Bula from Fiji

[Locuro]

Hello all! Great forum here! I have been eating raw foods since '97. In the beginning I was mostly vegan and fruitarian. Now I tend to eat more raw meat when available and here in the tropics, coconuts. I am traveling at the moment, currently in Fiji, heading back to Asia next month; China and the Philippines.
I am an opportunistic eater. Wherever I am, I find the good local stuff whether it is fruit, fish, meat, or dairy. Fiji has been kinda difficult though, some coconuts and lots of papaya. The E trade winds have been blowing at close to 20 kts for at least a week, so there is hardly any fish (no boats going out). When it is available, Its really expensive, not like the Philippines, India or Thailand, where I was getting kilos of tuna and swordfish for around $3 US per KG..
The Indian family I am staying with raises chickens, so lots of eggs. There is a family down the street with a cow. I tried to buy two liters of milk to test it out.. but they  were diluting the milk with water, a common practice here in Fiji unfortunately.

Im heading back to Asia via Australia, so I plan on buying a nice 20kg cow share chest and spending two weeks at my friends house devouring that before moving on...mmm can't wait

[Iguana]

Bula and welcome here!

In which of the 300 Fiji islands are you? I've been 3 times in Fiji: Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, Kandavu, Ovalau, Taveuni, Rambi, Lau Group (Thitia, Nayau, Lakemba, Oneata) and also twice several months in Rotuma which was at the time administratively attached to Fiji, although populated by Polynesians.

I could never eat any dairy in the Pacific Islands and now I don't eat any ever since more than 23 years. To bad when there's has been a hurricane or strong wind and there's no fish available. Poultry is almost always fed industrial feed. I felt hungry sometimes.
 
Francois

[goodsamaritan]

Wow! Exotic Fiji.
If you are in Manila, give me a call / PM.

--Edwin--

[Locuro]

Hi Francois and thanks for the warm welcome. I am currently on the main Island of Viti Levu. I came to do some surfing and make a retreat for myself before venturing of to some of the smaller islands. The wind has ruined my plans of surfing and there is not much good meat or fish around, so I have been more or less doing some nutritional fasting/calorie restriction and learning the art of Fiji time aka patience

If the wind lets up soon, I plan on going to visit the countryside of Vanua Levu with my friend. He grew up there. We want to go and look for some Sandalwood. Also, his good friends are fisherman with a big boat, so we could go out fishing. I was also hoping to go to Yasawa or Mamanuca group, waiting for some good weather though. Yes, the food had been more of a problem here than I expected, but I have adapted well with the fasting. I came expecting lots of seafood, maybe I came at the wrong season.

Cheers,

Gabriel

[Locuro]

Hi Edwin, yes, I plan on going back to the Philippines pronto man. I was there in Feb-March this year and it rocked. I was out on Kalibo/Borocay area and they had piles of fresh oysters for 25 peso per kilo. Plus so much fish and the most famous lapulapu. Borocay is tourist are too.. but the market was so cheap. This time I want to go out towards Palawan, Mindanao, or Siargao, but I think monsoon is coming? That would be good for surfing, but maybe the fishermen are packing it in? I was hoping to stay for a few months before heading to China.

Cheers

[Brother]

Hello all! Great forum here! I have been eating raw foods since '97. In the beginning I was mostly vegan and fruitarian. Now I tend to eat more raw meat when available and here in the tropics, coconuts. I am traveling at the moment, currently in Fiji, heading back to Asia next month; China and the Philippines.....

BULA!!! How's the fresh kava there?

[wodgina]

argghh Kava hangover...bad times!

[Brother]

true that. Potent kava can deliver some pretty cruel hangovers. I still love the effect of the stuff. If they made a brand that tasted like strawberries I would accept GMO fully!

[Locuro]

Bula Brother!

The fresh Kava is good. Locally they call it grog. I guess because it makes you "groggy"! I have come to the conclusion that it is the best sedative in the world period. If we mix up a bowl in the evening, the the time that bowl is done, I'm ready for bed. I have such a deep sleep also. The only drawback is Kava seems to cause a slight water retention, so waking up in the middle of the night to take a piss is not uncommon. Other then that, I sleep right through. The best quality Kava is called waka waka. This is just the root hand pounded in the home.
The powdered stuff they sell in the market is always the whole plant mixed.

Cheers

[Brother]

I order home powdered and instant kava from a reliable source in the US who go to vanuatu and get theirs from local growers. The only downside to me is the taste. But its not that bad. I would so love to taste the fresh root, but they tell me there are some problems with customs and transporting live plants across borders so as much as they would like to, they cant send me the fresh root or pulp

[Locuro]

All the Kava here I see for sale is dried as well. My local friends were telling me Kava is very tricky to grow and needs a very particular climate to thrive. Tropical and lots of rain.  They grow most of it on the neighboring island, Vanua Levu. Here on this island they tell me, it doesn't grow at all.